An alarming rise of antisemitism in Canada should be met with a federal interdepartmental task force and a renewed commitment to education and enforcement, the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights said in a report released April 21. The committee recommended that the federal government immediately strike a task force to, among other things, determine the nature … Read more
Concerned by the troubling surge in copper thefts in Canada’s telecommunications and electricity industries, the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications is calling on the federal government to immediately address this threat to critical infrastructure and public safety. The committee’s report, Stolen Signal: The Costly Consequences of Copper Theft in Canada, released April 14 describes how copper thefts cause major … Read more
Having given Build Canada Homes the enormous task of boosting Canada’s housing options for low- and middle-income households, the federal government must provide it with the resources, tools and powers necessary to maximize its impact on housing affordability, the Senate Committee on National Finance said in a report released March 26. After examining Build Canada Homes’ implementation, funding, governance and … Read more
Senators should push back against budget implementation bills that obstruct parliamentary scrutiny by smuggling in non-financial measures, the Senate Committee on National Finance said in a report released on March 24. Sneaking unrelated laws into budget bills has become a long-standing practice in the House of Commons. Under pressure to pass these bills quickly to meet deadlines, … Read more
The Senate Committee on Official Languages farewell to Raymond Théberge, who recently retired as Canada’s Commissioner of Official Languages. “We are deeply grateful to Mr. Théberge for his dedication to protecting both official languages, particularly his extensive work on revamping the Official Languages Act and throughout its implementation,” said ISG Senator Allister W. Surette, chair of the Senate Committee on Official … Read more
Canadians without access to health services in the official language of their choice risk suffering negative health outcomes, according to a report by the Senate Committee on Official Languages. The committee’s first-ever in-depth study of the health sector examines the challenges of providing health care services in official language minority communities. These challenges include a shortage of bilingual … Read more
Using oceans to remove carbon could turn the tide in the fight against climate change, and Canada is striving to become a global leader in this new technology, the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans said in a report released on Feb. 5. The report, Carbon Removal, From Air to Sea, summarizes the committee’s findings from its study … Read more
Canada should act decisively to deepen its engagement in Africa, the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade said in a report released on Dec. 11. The report, Canada-Africa: Seizing a Strategic Opportunity, urges the federal government to strengthen Canadian partnerships with African countries and stakeholders, and makes 21 recommendations to help achieve this goal. The committee’s report calls … Read more
In a report released on Dec. 9, the Senate Committee on Human Rights has renewed calls for significant reform to ensure vulnerable young adults are not abandoned to crime, addiction or homelessness. The committee, for example, heard of the “child-welfare-to-prison pipeline” — an all-too-common phenomenon in which troubled youth get caught up in the criminal justice system as … Read more
The Subcommittee on Senate Estimates and Committee Budgets has begun its study of co-ordinated travel by senators after receiving a mandate from the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration at its June 5, 2025 meeting. The subcommittee aims to table a report to the Internal Economy committee in the fall. The subcommittee’s work will be guided by the … Read more
